Bonds of Blood
by SpaceRoses
Summary: Complete! After Ro Laren joins the Maquis, she rescues a Bajoren woman from a Cardassian camp who claims to be her mother.
1. Chapter 1

**1**

Ro Laren stretched out on the cot and studied the ceiling.

She used to be Ensign Ro Laren, Starfleet officer.

Now she was Ro Laren, member of the Maquis cell on Celin 9.

Idly, her mind flitted over the history of Celin.

It had been a colony founded by Terrans and members of a Bajoren refugee camp who dreamed of a better home.

Together they had thought they could make a world where they could live in peace, free from the fear of invasion.

Then Starfleet created the Demilitarized Zone and all the people who had been living under Federation protection suddenly found themselves on their own and prey to the Cardassians.

The people of Celin had tried to make peace with the Cardassians but that had failed, so against their desires for peace they had welcomed the creation of a Maquis cell in one of their villages.

And that was why Ro was in the small village of Shakin on the northwest continent.

In the few weeks she had been a Maquis, she had quickly risen to a trusted position and tomorrow was her proving ground.

A group of Cardassian soldiers had been searching the near-by towns for a rumored Maquis cell and they were quickly encroaching on Shakin.

But Maquis spies had been following them and they had found out that the Cardassians had been attacked and several of their numbers had been injured.

Also they had pinpointed the location where the Cardassians would be stopped for a few days to tend to their wounded and regroup.

And so a plan had been hatched.

Tomorrow at dawn Ro would lead a group of ten Maquis to the site.

After taking out the sentries several concussion grenades would be thrown into the camp, knocking out all organic material.

The Maquis would then move in, steal all useable supplies and blow up the camp.

Ro grimaced in the dark, it was a good plan but still she was nervous.

With a disgusted sigh she sat back up and swung her feet off the cot.

Carefully stepping between the other rows of cots she made it to the door and walked down into the village, intent on finding an available replicator.

Once she found one she stared at it for a minute before pressing several buttons.

With a soft hum the plate materialized and she picked it up before sitting down at an empty table.

However her solitude was broken by the sound of someone flopping down in the chair across from her.

"Hey Laren!"

Ro glanced up from her meal and saw Pat Beckett in front of her, an infuriating grin covering her face.

Pat was young for a human and had only recently joined the Maquis ranks.

Since the first time she had met Ro, she had admired the older Bajoren woman almost to the point of hero-worship.

Ro's best attempts to discourage her had failed and Ro was quickly finding out that Pat was an earnest girl with a good heart.

To good to be a Maquis, Ro feared.

"What are you eating?" Pat asked suddenly.

"If you must know, it's hasperat."

Pat wrinkled her nose, "Yuck, that stuff is too bland for me."

Ro actually stopped eating, "Hasperat is too _bland_ for you?"

Pat ran a hand through her short brown hair and shrugged, "If you want to try something really spicy, try Red Savina chili. My mom used to make it when we visited Earth. The first bite is usually enough to send someone into a coughing fit. One time my dad was eating it and he accidentally bit into a cluster of seeds. He drained three glasses of water in almost a minute."

She laughed at the memory but Ro could see the barely disguised grief hiding behind her cheery exterior.

Both her parents had been scientists in Starfleet and they had both been killed a few months ago when a Cardassian warship attacked the science vessel they were on.

Ro smiled a little at the story, "Actually my dad taught me how to make hasperat before he died."

Ro stopped speaking as she saw the sympathy in the other girl's eyes and braced herself for the string of condolences that where about to be showered upon her.

Pat quickly shoved the sympathy aside and instead changed the topic, "I should probably get some sleep if I'm going to be anything resembling functional by dawn."

"I should too, it won't make much of an impression if the leader for this raid fell asleep mid-mission," Ro joked as she placed her plate in the replicator to be recycled.

Pat was already asleep by the time Ro reached to barracks.

Silently she picked her way back to her cot and stretched out again.

This time she was asleep almost before she closed her eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **Because somehow my disclaimer got deleted from my first chapter, I'm putting it up here so I still don't own Star Trek. I do not own Ro Laren and technically I don't own Ro Talia either, but because Paramount never developed her character I had to create her personality. So the version of Ro Talia you see in this story is my own creation. All characters that you don't recognize as Star Trek canon belong to me. I also own Celin 9 and Shakin.

**Author's Note: **This is a multiple chapter story and I hope to be able to update frequently. Read and review if you like but Flames will be given to the Dominion. Thanks!

**2**

Ro watched her breath steam up the foggy air, in little less then ninety seconds the snipers would take out the two sentries at the Cardassian camp and then the real work would begin.

Readjusting her grip on her disruptor she reviewed the plan, as soon as the sentries where gone, throw a series of concussion grenades into the camp and wait for them to detonate. In the fifteen minutes they would last, steal as many supplies as they could, plant the four detpacks and retreat to the rendezvous point.

Two bolts of light shout out of the darkness around her and hit the sentries, vaporizing them instantly.

As the last sparks faded a strange rain fell upon the camp and in one instant of sound a large shockwave spread over the whole area, knocking out anything organic.

Ro griped the dirt below her with her free hand as the shockwave pummeled the rock she was hiding behind.

When the tremors faded she crawled out and stood up.

She nodded at the Maquis around her and they descended up the camp.

Like locusts they quickly and efficiently wiped the camp of all salvageable material.

"_Brown to Ro." _

Ro glanced at the transmitter on her wrist, "Go ahead Brown."

"_We've planted the detpacks and set them on a five minute delay. We need to evacuate now."_

"Understood. Ro to the rest of the team, Make for the rendezvous point."

Ro signed off and turned around but before she could begin to walk, a low moan caught her attention.

It was coming from one of the tents and it sounded female.

She glanced at her watch; she had four minutes and thirty seconds to leave.

"Whoever that person is they won't be in pain much longer," she turned to leave again but another moan stopped her.

This time she could discern words.

"Please…help," a feeble voice whispered.

Deciding quickly, she thumbed her communicator, "Brown, I need to help someone down here. If I'm not there in three minutes I want you to commence the transport."

She turned it off and ran into the tent.

As she pushed back the flap her heart nearly stopped.

Lying on the ground in a broken heap was an older Bajoren woman.

Ro stepped forward and reached out a hand but the woman shrank back.

Ro could here the seconds ticking down in her mind; she had less then three minutes left.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here to help you," she whispered as she pulled the old lady up.

"Can you walk?" she whispered again.

The lady nodded and Ro guided her to the flap, "We have to hurry."

Ro tried to keep her voice even but the lady moved much too slow and the seconds where disappearing much too fast.

The woman tripped and almost pulled Ro down, "Easy, we're almost there," Ro encouraged.

Her watch began to beep a warning.

She had reached to two minute mark.

8888

"What the hell is Ro doing?" Brown whispered as he rechecked his watch.

The sounding of sliding gravel caught his attention, "Beckett, where are you going?"

"I'm gong to help Ro."

8888

The had just gained the edge of the camp when the one minute warning went off.

"Hey Ro, could you use a hand?"

"Pat!" For a moment surprise outweighed Ro's fear.

"Here ma'am, give me your hand," Pat held hers out and grasped the old lady's.

Together, Ro and Pat helped the woman over the shallow lip of the camp site.

Ro was beginning to think her luck might be turning when a louder alarm beeped on her wrist, immediately echoed by the first of several explosions.

They were out of luck and out of time.


	3. Chapter 3

**3**

Cursing loudly, Ro broke into a run, dragging Pat and the woman with her.

With adrenaline feeding her energy, she reached a rock outcropping and threw herself behind it, the other two landing unceremoniously on top of her.

A huge blast shook the ground and as Ro raised her head she could see the explosion ripping high into the brightening sky.

Just as suddenly as it had started, it was over.

Somewhere in the distance, Ro could hear something burning but she had no desire to see what it was.

Pat was the first one to stand shakily to her feet, "I can't believe it, we're still alive and in one piece."

Ro shook her head, they had no time to marvel at their good fortune; they had to get back to Shakin as quickly as they could.

A shout sounded from behind them, "Ro Laren!"

Hesitantly Ro stepped out from behind the rock, her disruptor drawn, "Yes?"

James Brown strode up towards her, "What kind of crazy stunt where you pulling out there? We had to get a special transport just to come get you guys."

Ro holstered her disruptor, "Is the rest of the team safe?"

"Yeah, the transport took us as soon as the packs went off. I had to pull extra favors to come back here at all."

"You already mentioned that," Ro said dryly.

Pat had come out to join Ro, "Are you going to talk all day? We need medical attention."

Brown walked behind Ro and quickly examined the woman they had rescued.

After he was finished he tapped his transmitter, "Brown to Shakin."

"_Shakin here._"

"Do you have all four signals?"

"_Yes but we can only beam you back in groups of two._"

"Fine, beam back Beckett and the other person first. Ro and I will go last."

"_Understood sir, Shakin out._"

A few minutes later the only thing at the site was the still burning Cardassian camp.

8888

"Ro, your actions were rash and irresponsible! You put the rest of the team in danger so you could go back and help someone. You could have been killed and Beckett with you!"

Ro studied Benjamin Deanic, the leader of this Maquis cell, as he paced his "office".

"Sir, I know that I acted without orders but at the time it seemed like the right thing to do."

"And how did you reach that conclusion?" Deanic yelled, throwing himself in a rickety chair.

"She was a Bajoren in a Cardassian camp," Ro said simply.

"So?"

"I wasn't going to let her die along with those…" Ro couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence without her anger choking her.

It was just for a second but Ro thought she saw a glimmer of understanding come into his face.

Then he stood up and she couldn't be sure if she had seen anything at all.

"I see…" he said slowly, "Dismissed."

Just before Ro could exit the door Deanic's voice stopped her, "Ro."

"Yes?"

"Good mission."

8888

When Ro stepped out of her meeting she was greeted by Pat, "Hey Laren! The woman you rescued has been treated and she wants to thank you."

Pat began to jog towards the village square with Ro following her.

When they reached the square, Ro was surprised to find it almost empty.

Before she opened her mouth to ask a question, the only Bajoren in the square came forward and grasped Ro's hand warmly, "I wanted to thank you for what you did. Many people would have been more concerned with escaping themselves but you came back and saved my life."

Ro felt a flush creeping up her cheeks, "I'm glad I could help, but really, we wouldn't have made it if Pat hadn't come back when she did."

"She's already thanked me," Pat whispered in Ro's ear.

Ro tried to smile warmly, "well it was a pleasure meeting you ma'am."

"Ro Talia."

"Excuse me?" Ro asked as the blood drained from her face

"My name is Ro Talia," the woman said simply.


	4. Chapter 4

**4**

Suddenly Ro drew back from the woman like she was carrying a plague.

"Laren, are you all right?" Pat asked, frowning slighty.

"It's-that's not possible." Ro muttered under her breath, still watching Talia.

"Laren?" Talia turned her questioning gaze towards Pat.

"Yeah, that's her name, Ro Laren."

Talia looked at Ro again, shock, surprise and fear painted across her face, "Laren?"

She stepped forward and hesitantly placed a hand on Ro's cheek and lifted her head.

"Laren it is you!" she cried, enveloping her in a hug, "I thought you had been killed."

"Really I think there has been some kind of mistake," Ro protested, pulling away again.

This time tears and confusion filled Talia's eyes, "You don't remember me Laren?" she whispered softy.

"I have no idea who you are," Ro replied stiffly, "I'm sorry about your loss but I'm not sure who you think I am."

Talia stepped back, wiping her eyes, "I'm sorry for embarrassing you; I mistook you for someone else."

Ro offered a nervous grin, "Don't worry about it."

Talia nodded and quickly walked out of the square, into the forest that surrounded the village.

Pat turned around from watching Talia to face Ro, "What the heck was that about?"

"I don't know. Have they inventoried what we salvaged yet?"

Her sudden desire to change the subject was not lost on Pat, "You do know what Talia was talking about, don't you?" she accused.

Ro shook her head, "Really, I don't know. She may have thought I was one of her kids who died in the Occupation." Without noticing it, Ro reached up and began to pull on her earring slighty.

"You're doing it."

Ro's hand came down and she looked at Pat in confusion, "Doing what?"

"You're pulling on your earring and you only do that when you're nervous. Now why don't you tell me the truth?"

"For the last time Beckett, I have no idea what she is talking about!" Ro yelled angrily.

Pat watched as she stomped out of the square, before turning her attention back to the woods.

Picking her path carefully, Pat followed the relatively clear trail that Talia had left, eventually finding the woman sitting beside a small, algae filled pond.

Pat deliberately stepped on a stick, alerting Talia to her presence.

The older woman turned her head, the hope dying in her eyes as soon as it had begun.

"Did I disturb you?" Pat asked gently, sitting down next to her.

"No, I just thought you might be someone else," Talia sighed sadly.

Pat nodded and a silence fell upon the clearing, broken only by a sudden chirp of a bird and an occasional sniffle from Talia.

"I was so sure it was her. After all these years of praying and hoping, I thought I had finally found her again," Talia began.

Her sudden voice startled Pat, "Found who?

"My daughter. She ran away from the camp we were living at when she was seven and I haven't seen her since."

"What was her name?"

"Ro Laren and she looked just like the Laren up there. That's why I thought…" she trailed off as she wiped some fresh tears from her eyes.

Disgust filled Pat as the realization dawned on her, Ro had known what Talia was talking about and she had still lied!

Taking several deep breaths Pat tried to let go of her feelings, Ro probably had her reasons for doing what she had done.

A sudden rumble of thunder filled the air, causing Pat to look around.

The sun had disappeared behind a curtain of heavy black clouds and the wind had picked, driving the fresh smell of rain before it.

Stiffly, she stood up and offered her hand to Talia, "We better get back to the town. It looks like a storm's starting and only a fool wants to be outside for thunderstorms on this planet."

Talia wiped her eyes and grasped Pat's hand.

As she stood she sagged against Pat for a minute, "Are you all right Talia?"

Talia nodded, "Yes, I am just tired."

The rain had started to fall as they walked into the square.

Suddenly Talia stiffened and gripped Pat's hand tighter, "Talia, why don't we rest for a minute?" Pat suggested, gently guiding her to a bench.

As Talia released Pat's hand to sit, her eyes rolled up in her head and she collapsed.

Her mind frozen with panic, Pat stood dumbly for a moment before finding her voice.

"Hey! I need a medic over here!"


	5. Chapter 5

**5**

"I don't get it James, I could have sworn we took three med kits away from that camp but I can only find one in here." Ro waved her hand to indicate the whole room before shaking her head.

"Possibly could it have gotten taken to a different storage room?" Brown suggested.

"I don't think so. I asked everyone on the team and they said they put all the loot in this room."

Brown looked at the pad in his hand, "Maybe did one of the doctor's take it and not tell us?"

"Already checked with them."

Brown signed heavy and made a note on the list, "Unless they turn up anywhere else, this will be the third time this month that things have gone missing. I think it's time we told Deanic about this, its gone way past the idea of things being mislaid."

Ro looked up at him, noting the seriousness in his eyes, "You think someone is stealing supplies?"

Brown nodded, "I'd better go tell him. Keep looking and if you find anything, tell me as soon as you can."

Ro's response was a curt nod as she opened up a box to check inside.

She didn't hear the person that entered as Brown exited nor did she realize anyone else was in the room until she heard footsteps behind her.

Twisting her head around she found herself staring into Pat's face.

The younger girl's cheeks was streaked with tears and her brown eyes were still wet, "Pat are you okay?" Ro asked, concerned.

"I don't know why I ever liked you Ro. You are quite possibly the meanest, cruelest person I have ever known in my life." Pat hissed softy.

"What?" Ro questioned, confused.

"Talia told me the truth, the truth you wouldn't tell me."

"Truth? What truth?" Ro's confusion was changing towards anger.

"You really have no idea how lucky you are. You have a chance to talk, to make amends with your mother but you won't take it. Do you have any idea what some people might give for this chance, the chance that you are throwing away?" Pat asked softy, disgust apparent in her voice.

Before Ro could open her mouth to protest Pat cut her off, "I read your record. Talia was right, you're her daughter. And now your denial might be killing her."

"What?" Ro demanded, gripping Pat's hand, "What did you say?"

"I went after her after you left; we talked, and came back to the town. She was acting weak so I helped her to a bench but before she could sit she collapsed."

"No," Ro whispered as she released Pat's hand and bolted from the room.

8888

Her eyes gradually opened and Talia blinked them a few times to regain focus.

"How are you feeling?"

Talia smiled as she recognized the voice, it was the doctor who had treated her when she had first arrived.

"I'm not entirely sure what happened." Talia murmured softy as she focused on the doctor's face.

The doctor, Edmund Finch, carefully sat down on the bed opposite of Talia, "You collapsed in the square."

"Do you know why?"

Finch slowly nodded, "I have a fairly good idea."

Talia watched as he took a deep breath and collected his thoughts, trying to ignore the cold feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"I'm not sure how to tell you this Talia, but you're dying."

Talia's voice caught in her throat, "How?"

"You have a rare form of cancer and it's already spread quite far."

It was odd, how calm she felt. She was just told she was dying of cancer and still she felt incredibly calm, "How long do I have left?"

"I'm not sure, a few weeks, a month if you're lucky."

"And there's nothing you can do?" Talia whispered.

"I can't but there is one chance. If you leave the DMZ and go to a Starfleet station maybe they could do something." Finch offered, "The best I can do is slow it. I know of a ship that's going to Federation space tomorrow and I could get you a place aboard if you like."

Talia closed her eyes. She could leave the Zone, that wasn't difficult. But to ask Starfleet for help…no, she could never do that.

She opened her eyes, "Thank you doctor for your suggestion but the answer is no."

"No?"

"The Federation never helped us during the Occupation and I will not limp to them, begging for help now."

Finch sighed, cursing stubborn Bajoren pride, "As you wish."

Talia sat up a little in bed, "Doctor, can you tell me something?"

He had been preparing to leave but stopped, "Yes?"

"Why didn't you discover this when I first came here?"

"It remained hidden until I was ran deeper scans of your entire body. Originally I only ran simple scans and they missed it."

Talia nodded and leaned back against the wall.

"Is there any family you would like to tell?"

Talia shook her head, "No, I have no family left."


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's note: **The sections in Italics are flashbacks.

**6**

Ro slammed open the door to the Infirmary and marched in.

"Laren, is someone injured?" Finch stepped out of his small office and stopped in front of Ro.

Ro glared at the man who had blocked her from her mother.

"Laren?"

"No, nothing is wrong doctor. I just wanted to speak to Talia."

Finch looked over his shoulder, "She's sleeping right now."

"Fine, but I'd like to check on her anyways."

He nodded and went back into his office, "Call me if you need any help."

Ro absently nodded as she walked forward.

The woman lying in the bed seemed so frail, so weak.

Not like the mother that Ro remembered.

Quietly she sat down in a chair besides Talia and gripped one of her hands, "Hey mom, I know I acted like a real idiot today and I know that was wrong of me."

Unbidden, images from her childhood flashed before her face.

"_Mama, Papa!" the little brown haired girl ran into the small house where she lived with her parents. _

"_What is it Laren?" Her mother looked down at her. _

_She was only six and she couldn't understand what was going on around her, "Those guys with the funny faces just beamed into the square and they're walking around." _

_Both her parents exchanged glances and her father picked her up, "Have I ever taught you to make hasperats?"_

Ro blinked as the memory faded, "I never got a chance to thank you and dad for everything you did for me."

She took a breath and studied the woman in front of her for a moment.

"I'm also sad to say that you wouldn't be very proud of me. Ever since I ran away from home…" Ro trailed off, not completing the sentence as another painful memory surfaced.

"_Laren, where are you going?" _

"_I'm leaving home, I can't stand it anymore." _

"_You can't stand what?" _

"_Everything! Especially having to learn about the Prophets and all that religious stuff!"_

_Talia's kind eyes went dark as she listened to her seven year old daughter, "Don't say things like that! How can you deny a part of your culture?" _

"_Your culture, not mine!"_

"_What do you mean? You are Bajoren." _

"_I hate it! I hate my culture, I hate this stupid earring and I hate being Bajoren!" Ro yelled. _

_Talia knelt in front of Ro and wiped at the tears leaking from her child's eyes, "Ro, I know what happened to your father hurt you terribly, beyond anything that I could possibly imagine but together we can survive this and together we'll be stronger." _

"_You never loved him." _

"_What?"_

"_You never loved Papa and you don't love me. You never loved either of us because we were never perfect! And you don't even mind that Papa's gone." Ro couldn't stop the sobs, they boiled up and spilled over._

_Offering whatever comfort she could, Talia tried to stop her child's sobs but it soon become obvious that she was helpless. _

"_We should go to bed. Everything will look better in the morning Laren, I promise."_

_Late that same night, Ro crept out of her bed. _

_Lightly stepping on the floor, she found her clothes and put them on in the dark before walking over to the window. _

_She quickly worked the catch and prepared to slip outside with something by her head jangled. _

_Touching her right earlobe, she gently felt the curves of the earring. _

_Suddenly she pulled it off and left it in a pile on her dresser. _

_It would be many years until she wore an earring again. _

This time Ro couldn't contain the tears that fell out of her eyes. "I shouldn't have run away, I see that now."

She wiped her cheeks as she continued, "As I get older I'm beginning to see a lot that I regret."

Her transmitter suddenly beeped and she stared at it dumbly before activating it, "Yes?"

"_Ro, are you there?_"

She recognized Brown's voice, low though it was, "Yeah, is everything all right?"

"_Not sure. We need to talk. Can you make it to the roof without being followed?_"

When she said she could, Brown gave further instructions, "_Go up there know. I'll be there, waiting._ _Brown out._"

Ro turned off her transmitter and faced her mother, "Good bye and maybe someday I'll have the guts to tell you I'm sorry when you're awake."

Wiping a hand across her eyes one last time, she exited the room, softy closing the door behind her.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: **This chapter is slightly shorter then the other ones so far but hopefully I'll be able to post again tomorrow. Thanks for reading my story!

**7**

Brown ran a hand through his rain slicked hair and watched as Ro picked her way towards him.

"I hope you have a good reason for hauling me up to the roof in the middle of a thunderstorm."

He smiled at her sarcastic tone before his expression turned more serious, "I think I know who's been stealing our supplies."

Ro's annoyed expression disappeared, "Who?"

"Deanic."

Ro paused for a minute, considering the idea that the leader of the cell, and a person she admired, could be a traitor.

"Do you have any proof?" Ro asked softy.

"Only that I was running a deeper inventory and discovered that we have been losing supplies steadily." He handed Ro a pad, covered in a rain protector and watched her face as she read the lengthy list.

"Why haven't we noticed this before?' Ro questioned.

"You see, at first it was non crucial supplies, some food here, and a few hyposrays there, things that are routinely misplaced. But when our thieve started stealing the bigger items, disruptors, med kits, stuff like that he began to attract attention."

Ro turned off the pad and handed it back to him, "All your data adds up, but what makes you say it was Deanic?"

Brown took a deep breath, organizing his memories in a more coherent fashion.

"This afternoon, you were telling me about the med kits being missing and I said I'd tell Deanic about it, remember?"

Ro nodded and he continued, "I went down to his office but before I could go inside I heard him talking to someone. I have no idea who it was but it sounded like a Cardassian."

"A _Cardassian_?" Horror painted Ro's face as she breathed the hated word.

Brown grimaced, "Of course I have no proof but I wanted to tell you anyways. Two people watching Deanic are better then one."

Ro glanced over her shoulder at the doorway leading back to the house, "We'd better go back before someone misses us. However we should also have a secure comlink between us, just in case we find out anything new."

Brown nodded and a few minutes later, two soaked figures hurried off the roof.


	8. Chapter 8

**8**

The next morning, the rising sun revealed the rain soaked village of Shakin.

It also revealed the lone woman who was standing outside, watching the sun rise.

Talia sighed and breathed in the sweet air.

Yesterday had been a trying day, between the fiasco with that young Bajoren woman and finding out she was dying…Talia was just glad it was over.

Talia turned her head slightly as she heard the footsteps behind her.

Ro stepped out of the house and stood beside her mother, "Finch tells me you're doing better," she said hesitantly.

Talia nodded, "Yes I am." She was glad to see that Finch was keeping her cancer a secret.

Ro took a deep breath, "Listen, about what happened yesterday, you were right."

Talia finally completely turned her head to fully face Ro, "Right about what?"

"Pat told me that you thought I was your daughter and you where right. I am."

Talia blinked back tears; she seemed to be crying a lot these days, "If you always knew, then why did you lie?"

"Because sometimes it's easier to hurt people you care about instead of letting yourself feel pain."

Ro suddenly found herself being hugged, but this time she didn't fight it.

Instead she laid her head on her mother's shoulder and closed her eyes, after all these years she had found her mother again and maybe, this time, she could make things right.

A sudden disruptor shot pierced the morning stillness and Ro's head jerked up, ignoring her mother's cry of surprise.

Thinking fast, Ro localized where the shot had come from.

She pulled away from the hug and raced down the street, towards the Maquis barracks.

Taking the stairs two at a time, she reached Deanic's office and began to hammer on the door. .

After a minute, with no response, she tried to open the door but it had been locked.

Unable to manually unlock it, she grabbed her disruptor and aimed it at the door.

It took two shots to blast a hole big enough for her to crawled through.

Ducking into the room, she waited for the smoke to clear before looking around.

There, something was by the desk.

Carefully stepping threw the room, Ro walked to the desk.

"No," she breathed as she knelt by the person on the floor, avoiding the growing pile of blood.

Gently she turned the body over and gasped in shock and recognition.

"Deanic!"

Deanic's eyes opened slightly as he looked around the room, "Ro?"

Ro winced as she heard his hoarse breathing. while busily undoing his shirt, trying to find the injury that was sapping his life away.

Then she found it, a disruptor shot had gotten him just above the heart.

Automatically she pulled off her vest and wadded it into a ball before placing it on the injury to staunch the blood.

Deanic hissed in pain as Ro applied the pressure.

"Ro, it's too late for that, I'm dying. And I need you to do something."

"Anything sir," Ro whispered.

"You have to stop Brown; he's the one who shot me." Deanic's words were coming harder as he clung to life long enough to finish his last orders.

"He's also a spy, I caught him sending an encrypted message to the Federation and that's when I got shot."

Ro had closed her eyes, trying to sort everything out when Deanic gripped her arm, "Promise me Ro," he whispered fiercely.

"You have my word that he'll be stopped and he will pay for everything sir."

His eyes glazed over as his grip weakened.

Gently Ro moved his hand off her arm and he smiled, "You're a good Maquis Ro and maybe someday you'll command your own cell. Just remember what we're all about."

His eyes finished glazing over as he breathed his last word, "Freedom."

Ro didn't move until several other Maquis including Pat came running into the room and stopped at the sight of their dead leader.

"Laren, what happened?"

Ro glanced up at Pat, "He's dead," she said, not wanting to elaborate any further, they would find out soon anyways.

She stood up slowly, ignoring the blood that had dried on her pants and hands.

She didn't care about how she looked, she had a duty to do and she wouldn't fail. Not this time.


	9. Chapter 9

**9**

The anger was gone.

Only calm knowledge of what she had to do was left.

She had already told the Maquis what had happened; expect she hadn't mentioned Brown's part.

Several of the newer recruits wanted to avenge their leader without knowing who to attack but she had assured them she would take care of the murderer personally.

While they prepared Deanic for his burial, Ro hunted.

She hunted a former Maquis, comrade and friend.

She hunted a murder, thief and traitor.

Only she didn't know where he was.

She had already searched Shakin thoroughly with no results.

Ro sat down on a bench in the village square to think when a memory came up.

The clearing, the clearing where Pat had found Talia.

It was a long shot, but it might be were Brown was.

Ro spotted the faint trail, and followed it as it wound through the underbrush till it finally came out beside a stagnate pond.

The entire clearing was deserted; Ro could tell that at a glance.

A rustle in the trees behind her caused her to pull her gun and face this new enemy but nothing was there.

Or was there?

Carefully inching forward, Ro pushed the plants aside and stepped into another, smaller, clearing.

This one was obviously a hiding place but it seemed as deserted as the clearing by the pond.

Suddenly something hit Ro in the back of the head and she pitched forward, almost cracking her skull on a rock.

Rolling onto her back, Ro grabbed for her weapon but couldn't find it.

Frantically she scanned the ground until her eyes met with boots.

She followed the boots upward to find herself staring at Brown.

Reaching down, he picked up her disruptor and studied it before looking at the woman on the ground.

"Ro, didn't I teach you never to lose your weapon?" he chided her.

Ro glared at the man, swallowing all the things she wanted to tell him.

"Well Ro, it has been a pleasure working with you."

Causally he pointed the disruptor at her and placed his finger on the trigger before adding, "Farwell Ro Laren, I guess you're going to find out the truth about the Prophets sooner then you hoped."


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: **The first section of this chapter takes place while Ro is finding Brown in the clearing. Also Gale was the name of Ro's father. Thanks!

**10**

"Pat, have you seen Laren?" Talia asked, a frown pulling at her forehead.

"Not since this morning, should I have?"

"I haven't seen her since they took out the body of Deanic and I'm worried about her. I've been told someone murdered Deanic and she went looking for that person."

This time it was Pat's turn to frown, "She said she would be fine but she probably needs help. Come on, let's go find her."

After asking several people, they were directed to the village square were Ro was last seen.

There the trail disappeared.

They had both sat down on a bench to rest when Pat noticed footprints on the little path to the pond where Talia had gone yesterday.

"Talia?"

The woman started from a doze and looked at Pat, "Yes?"

"I think Laren's at that clearing you went too yesterday." Pat said as she ran onto the path.

With her youthful energy, Pat quickly got ahead and didn't notice Talia was lagging behind.

She bust into the clearing, drawing her disruptor as she walked, only to find it empty.

Talia finally caught up with her and together they stood silently, trying to figure out what was going on.

That was when they heard the voices.

Voice actually.

Someone was talking and Talia motioned for silence as Pat opened her mouth and pointed in the direction the sound was coming from.

Pat nodded and they both carefully edged into the clearing.

Ro was lying on her back as Brown, smiling triumphantly, was preparing to shoot her.

All they could do, it seemed, was watch Ro die.

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Carefully keeping her gaze neutral, Ro opened her mouth, "You can shot me, but what are you going to tell people when they find my body?"

"Since you'll be shot with your own weapon, it'll be quite obvious. You killed our leader and then you couldn't take the guilt so you killed yourself."

Ro held her breath as Brown squeezed down on the trigger, hundreds of thoughts flashing in her mind.

Just as the bolt of energy left the disruptor, someone intercepted the bolt, saving Ro while another disruptor began to fire.

"No!" Ro screamed, pulling the body of her mother into her arm.

"No, I just found you mom, you can't leave. Please don't leave." Ro pleaded.

Talia's eyes fluttered open as she looked at her daughter, "I'm not leaving. I'll always be near you."

"You can't leave, you're stronger then this. We'll go back to the village and Finch will have you back together in no time." Ro pleaded with her mother like a child, so wrapped up that she didn't hear Brown scream or see him collapse to the ground, a disruptor bolt shooting through his chest.

Talia smiled slightly, "Laren, you're so much like Gale. Don't worry about me. The Prophets took care of him and they're taking care of me."

Ro ignored the tears falling down her face, "This wasn't supposed to happen. There are so many things I wanted to tell you, things I wanted to say and now I'll never get that chance."

"I know what you wanted to say. Words aren't necessary."

Ro shook her head, "I'm sorry, sorry I ran away, sorry for all the things I've ever said that hurt you and I am so sorry that you have to die like this."

Stiffly, Talia touched Ro's face, "You may be sorry, but I'm not."

"You shouldn't have moved in front of that bolt mom."

"But I did. I did it because I love you and because you're my daughter. I would do it again."

"I love you too mom, I love you so much." Ro whispered as Talia's eyes glazed over.

"Walk with the prophets, Ro Laren." Talia whispered as she died.

As Talia stopped breathing, Ro buried her face on her mother's shoulder and cried.

She cried for everything, her father, and herself, but most of all she cried for Talia, the mother she would never know.


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: **This is the last chapter. I had a blast writing this and I hope you liked reading it. Thank you for reading my story!

**11**

Vaguely Ro became aware of the sounds around her.

The first was a groan.

Slowly she pulled herself up and looked around.

Brown's body was lying on the ground, clearly dead and next to it knelt Pat.

"Are you all right Pat?"

Pat looked up at the sound of her name and Ro could see the tears that had fallen down her face, "I killed him Laren, I actually killed him," she whispered hoarsely.

Ro nodded her understanding and looked at her mother.

Talia's face was peaceful, far more peaceful then Ro ever remembered seeing her.

Carefully she picked her mother up, "We'd better get back to the village and tell them what happened," she said flatly.

Pat nodded, picked up Ro's disruptor and held onto it.

Slowly they walked back, each lost in there own thoughts.

They were met at the village square by Finch and several other Maquis.

While Finch took Talia's body to prepare it for burial Pat and Ro where ordered to tell the other Maquis exactly what had happened.

Only after there report was done where they dismissed and told to rest for the joint funeral at sunset.

Much had happened that day and the repairs would take many years.

But the process had begun.

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Ro gazed out of the window towards the moon, thoughts filling her head and chasing away sleep.

It had been a week since the funeral and life was attempting to become normal again.

A new leader for the cell had been chosen and more raids had been planned, people had been injured in pervious raids and resources had been gathered but none of that mattered to Ro.

Other things had changed too; the little clearing now had an unmarked gravesite and was the place where traitors and thieves would always be buried from now on.

There were two new graves in the town burial grounds.

Ro had helped engrave both headstones; Deanic's inscription was simple, his name and the dates of his death.

Talia's was slightly fancier, "Ro Talia, beloved mother and wife. Survivor of the Occupation. You were always loved even when you were alone."

Ro sighed, Pat was also leaving.

Since she had killed Brown, she had begun to realize the Maquis were not where she was supposed to be.

She was leaving for Bajor in the morning because she wanted to help rebuild it.

Was this what life was, people leaving, dying, changing?

Ro shook her head, since when was she this philosophical?

Suddenly her stomach growled and she realized she was hungry.

Making her way out of the room and down to a replicaor she paused.

Slowly a smile began to form, "Computer, Hasperat," she ordered

Life would go on.

The hurt she felt would fade, to be replaced with memories of the better things in life and she only had to survive until then.

That was her mission now and she couldn't fail.

_Fin. _


End file.
